Switch



5 1933- E. M. SORENG ET AL ,@54

SWITCH Filed July 27, 1934 I (III I 4 Ii iiia IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'III INVENTORS EDGAR M. Sofi'ENe CARL. WILL 15.15 BY PM "Wm/ ATTORNEYG Patented Feb. 22, 1938 SWITCH Edgar M. Soreng, Chicago, Ill., and Carl Will, Minneapolis, Minn., assignors to Tropic-Aire, Incorporated, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application July 27, 1934, Serial No. 737,262

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric switches, and more particularly to a switch comprising a plurality of sets of contacts and a circuit closer having means for selectively moving it into engagement with said contacts.

An object of the invention is to provide a switchtacts. and a gravity operated element being provided in said chamber and adapted. to close one or the other of said indicating openings, whereby an operator may at all times quickly note the position of the circuit closer of the switch with respect to said contacts.

Other objects of the invention reside in the means provided w th n the operating member of the switch for indicating the position of the ciroperating member which comprises an illuminatedchamber having a disk moun ed for rolling movement therein and cooperating with means in a wall of said chamber to indicate the position of the circuit closer; and, in the simple and, inexpensive construction of the operating member of the switch. whereby it may be manufactured at small cost and may readily be attached to other types of switches, where applicable, whereby the various positions of the operating member of such a switch may readily be noted.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined t3 the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing:

cuit closer; in the pa ticular construction of the 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section,"

showing the improved switch;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the gravity operated disk or element in its normal circuit opening position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the operating member rotated to the HI, or

high speed position;

Figure 4 is a front view of the operating member positioned as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the operating member rotated to cause the low speed circuit to function;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing the operating member positioned for low speed;

Figure 7 is a plan view showing the relative positions of the various contacts of the switch,

- and showing the circuit closer in its normal circuit opening position;

Figure 8 is an end view of the operating member with the front cap or wall removed therefrom;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the semi-circular element of the operating member removed therefrom;

. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the transparent wall of the operating member removed therefrom;

Figure 11 is a side view of the body of the operating member, partially in section;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line I2-l2 of Figure 2, showing the relative position of the various parts of the operating member; and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the disk-like element. provided within the operating member.

In the selected embodiment of the invention here shown, there is briefly illustrated in Figures 1 and 7, a switch comprising a casing 2, shown having mounted therein, a plurality of contacts 3-3, 4-4, and 55. These contacts are diagrammatically illustrated in Figure '7, and the contacts of each set are adapted to be electrically connected by a circuit closer 6, which, in Figure 7, is shown in its neutral or off position; The contacts 5-5 are not electrically connected in a circuit, but merely function to retain the circuit closer 6 in its neutral position.

The casing 2 is shown secured to a threaded sleeve I, which may be inserted through an opening provided in a supporting wall 8, such as the instrument board of an automobile, and. secured thereto by suitable lock nuts 9 and II.

A tubular member I2 is rotatably mounted within the sleeve 1 and is operatively connected to the circuit closer 6 by suitable means, not

. shown in the drawing, whereby the circuit closer is rotated simultaneously with the member l2.

The contacts 3--3 are shown provided with terminals I 3 and I4, whereby said contacts may be connected to the wires I5 and I6, respectively, of an electric circuit. In the drawing, the contacts 4-4 are shown electrically connected to the contacts 33 by suitable resistance elements l1, whereby when the circuit closer 6 electrically connects the contacts 4-4, a resistance is interposed in the circuit to thereby reduce the current flow therethrough. The constructional details of the switch, per se, form no part of the present invention, and it is therefore thought unnecessary to further describe the same.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means provided for indicating the position of the circuit closer 6, which, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure l, is enclosed within the casing 2, whereby it cannot be seen.

The means provided for thus indicating the position of the circuit closer 6 is embodied in the construction of an operating member, generally indicated by the numeral l8 in Figure 1. This operating member comprises a cylindrical portion is detachably, but non-rotatably secured to the end portion 2| of the tubular member l2 by suitable means, not shown. An electric light bulb 22 of conventional type is secured in a socket 23 provided in the member l2, and is shown having its outer end portion projecting beyond the end of the member.

The cylindrical portion 19 of the operating member is shown provided with an outwardly projecting flange or head 24, having a plurality of notches 25 provided therein. The head 24 is counterbored to provide a shoulder orseat 26 adapted to receive a disk 21 of a suitable transparent material, which may be of any suitable color such, for example, as red. A semi-circular member 28 of a suitable opaque material, is seated against the disk 21 and is shown provided with outwardly projecting lugs 29 adapted to be received in notches 25 provided in the head 24, as clearly illustrated in Figure-8. By spacing the lugs 29, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the member 28 cannot become disengaged from the walls of the head 24, when supported therein, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive.

A suitable cap 3| is fitted over the head 24 of the operating member l8, and may have portions of its flange 32 bent downwardly into certain of the notches 25 of the head 24 to thereby prevent the cap from accidentally becoming detached therefrom. When the cap 3| is secured to the head 24, as shown in Figures 1 and 12, the front wall 33 thereof will be spaced from the rear transparent wall defined by the disk 21 to thereby provide a chamber 34 between said walls.

The front wall 33 of the cap 3| is provided with suitable perforations or openings, generally indicated by the numerals 35 and 36. These openings represent suitable indicia as, for example, the openings 35 may be shaped to form the letters LO, indicating a low heat or a low speed circuit, while the openings 36 may be shaped to form the letters HI, indicating a high heat or high speed circuit.

Means is provided within the chamber 34 for selectively closing the indicia openings 35 and 36 and comprises a small disk 31 mounted to roll upon the edge portions 39 of a semi-circular member 28, as will be clearly understood by reference to Figures 3 and 5. The disk 31 may be constructed of metal or any suitable opaque material having sufficient weight to cause it to readily roll by gravity, when the operating member 3| is rotated from one position to another, as indicated in Figures 2, 3, and 5.

Assuming now that the switch is to be used for controlling the operation of a motor having two speeds, and that the circuit closer is positioned as shown in Figures 2 and '7, in which the current supplied to the motor is cut ofi. The operating member 3 of the switch is then rotated to the right, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, until the circuit closer 6 bridges the contacts 33. When the circuit closer thus engages the contacts 33, the full current of the circuit is delivered to the motor, whereupon it will operate at high speed. It isalso to be observed, by reference to Figures 3 and 4, that when the circuit closer electrically engages the contacts 33, the semi-circular member 29 is rotated to the position, best shown in Figure 3, whereupon the disk 31 will be alined with the letters L0, and the letters HI, indicating high speed will be visible because of the light bulb 22 illuminating the chamber 34 through the transparent disk or window 21. It is to be understood that the light bulb is so connected in the switch, that when the circuit closer 6 is electrically engaged with either 1 thus cuts down the supply of current to the motor. When the circuit closer is thus positioned, the semi-circular member 29 will be rotated to the position shown in Figure .5, whereby the disk 31 will move by gravity to the position shown in this figure, thereby closing indicating openings 36 or letters HI and opening the letters LO, which will indicate to the operator that the motor is operating at low speed. Thus, it will be seen that the openings 35 and 36'are opened and closed by the disk 31, by relatively rotating the operating member l8, whereby the operator may always readily note the position of the circuit closer 6.

The device is very simple and inexpensive and may be used in connection with different types of switches employing a plurality of contacts and a rotatably mounted bridge member circuit closer for closing the circuit between said contacts. It is to be understood that the switch is not to be limited to an electric motor, as it may be used in connection with various other electric circuits where applicable. For example, it may be used for dimming a set of lights, in which case, when the circuit closer is positioned across the contacts 4-4, the lights will operate at a lower brilliancy than when positioned across the contacts 33, because of the resistances l1 being imposed in the circuit.

It is also to be noted that the indicating means herein disclosed has no electrical connections with the electric circuit. ently of the circuit, the small disk 31 rolling by gravity from one side to the other, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, when the operating member i8 is operated to rotate the circuit closer 6.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination with a switch comprising It operates independand a rotatable operating member for selectively moving said circuit closer into engagement with said sets of contacts, of means embodied in the construction of said member and forming a chamber, and a gravity operated element in said chamber movable upon rotation of said operating member to thereby indicate the position of the circuit closer with respect to said sets of contacts.

2. A switch comprising a plurality of contacts, a circuit closer therefor, a rotatable member for selectively moving said circuit closer into engagement with said contacts, said member having a chamber therein, one side of which is defined by an opaque wall having suitable openings or windows therein, and a gravityoperated element in said chamber cooperating with said openings or windows to indicate the position of the. circuit closer with respect to said contacts.

3. A switch comprising a plurality of contacts,

a circuit closer therefor, a rotatable operating member for selectively moving said circuit closer into engagement with said contacts, said operating member comprising an inner transparent wall and an outer opaque wall, means spacing apart said walls to provide a chamber therebetween, said opaque wall having spaced openings or perforations therein representing suitable indicia, means for illuminating said chamber whereby light may be emitted through said openings, and a gravity operated disk in said chamber normally closing one of said indicia openings and adapted to be actuated by rotation of said operating member to thereby selectively open or uncover said indicia openings, whereby the position of the circuit closer with respect to said contacts may readily be noted.

EDGAR M. SORENG. CARL WILL. 

